NO HOLDS BARRED 12 Review

By Helen Patrick.

Note that the cover of this zine says that it's issue 11, although it's
listed correctly as 12 inside.

Multimedia zine, containing three B7 stories, a filk and one piece of
art. The art and two stories are actually crossovers, with Bodie from
The Professionals. Average to good B7 material, and the stories for
other fandoms are generally enjoyable. Well worth considering.

Untitled illo - Suzan Lovett

Very sweet Blake/Bodie in an idyllic woodland setting. Too sweet for my
tastes, actually, but it's a beautiful piece of work.

Rebels and Mercs - Catherine

Series 4 (possibly series 3) story about Blake at the time he's setting
up the Gauda Prime base. His ship is forced down by the Federation, and
he and his bodyguard (Bodie from The Professionals) are stranded for a
day or two until it's safe for someone for someone to fetch them. One
thing leads to another... Nicely written, and I enjoyed the sex scene.

Echoes of Remembrance - D Ramsey

PGP with Blake coming around in hospital after the shooting. He's
drifting in and out of a light dze, and remembering an erotic encounter
with a mercenary by the name of Bodie. The memory is triggered because
he's attracted to Avon, who's straight, and the encounter with Bodie
gave him the closest he was going to get to what he wanted. The story
ends with the beginnings of reconciliation with Avon. I didn't enjoy
this one as much - oddly, it was the layout that put me off, because the
sex scene is in flashback and italics, and I found that this had a
distancing effect as I read it.

Poison Ring - Susan Douglas

Jenna has been working as a smuggler after Star One, and has been
recruited as Servalan's personal pilot - and bedmate. Since Jenna had
apparently cut her ties with the rebels, Servalan doesn't see her as a
security threat. But Servalan has made one vital miscalculation.

I just don't buy the basic setup - I don't see Servalan giving that much
trust to anyone who'd been involved with Blake, even if some years ago.
But I can see the actual scenario as a distinct possibility with someone
who wasn't a potential threat. Lots of lovingly written consensual BDSM
(this is not a criticism:-). It's f/f, so it doesn't press my buttons,
but I think it would be a good story for those with appropriate tastes.

Multimedia poems - Vanessa Mullen

Actually a filk of "God rest you merry gentlemen", with one verse
devoted to Avon and Blake.